Mercury wowed the world at the 2005 Miami International Boat with its
Shadow Technology control system, which allowed boaters to control up to
three engines with just two levers. For Miami 2006, it's only gotten better:
SmartCraft Shadow Technology is now capable of controlling up to four
engines with just two levers, without sacrificing any of the ease of operation
or intuitive functionality that made the original Shadow Technology the talk
of the marine industry.

Shadow Technology is compatible with any three- or four-engine set of
Mercury Outboards or MerCruiser Sterndrives and Inboards that are equipped
with the Mercury-exclusive SmartCraft Digital Throttle & Shift. These include
all Verado outboards, 200 and 225 OptiMax DTS outboards and all MerCruiser
DTS V-8 sterndrives and inboards built in the 2006 model year or later. The
Shadow Technology controls for quads will become available in the spring of
2006.

Mercury's original Shadow Technology offering for SmartCraft Digital Throttle
& Shift (DTS) control systems won the 2005 Innovation Award in the OEM
Electronics Division at the International Boatbuilders' Exhibition and
Conference, Oct. 19-21 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The annual
IBEX Innovation Awards are determined by a panel of 12 judges from Boating
Writers International.

The system also received a prestigious 2005 Best of the Year Award from the
editors of Motor Boating Magazine. The awards, which were given to just six
products, were announced in the magazine's February 2006 issue.

Mercury Marine is the world leader in recreational marine propulsion with a full
line of outboard, sterndrive and inboard engines, plus the marine industry's
most extensive line of propellers, lubricants and parts and accessories.

Shadow Technology allows boaters to control three or four engines with just
two levers instead of the traditional cumbersome six- or eight-lever setup.
Each binnacle operates the respective outside engine, while any center
engines are controlled by software via Mercury's SmartCraft control-area
network.

Unlike conventional mechanical multi-engine control systems, Shadow
Technology controls the center engines in an intuitive and logical manner
through software embedded in engine and helm computers. For example, if
both levers are in gear and within five degrees of each other, the system
initiates the Auto Sync feature and the rpm level of each engine is
synchronized.

Tom Burkard, general manager of Mercury Control and Rigging Systems, said
that the quadruple-engine capability of Shadow Technology represents far
more than the sales it may generate.

 "Quad installations are not a high-volume application by any means," he
said, "but it points to Mercury's commitment to being the most integrated
marine manufacturer by going the extra mile to offer this technology."

The original incarnation of Mercury SmartCraft technology earned a Boating
Week Innovation Award in its category when it was introduced in 2002.